Natural Zeitgebers Under Temperate Conditions Cannot Compensate for the Loss of a Functional Circadian Clock in Timing of a Vital Behavior in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: The adaptive significance of adjusting behavioral activities to the right time of the day seems obvious. Laboratory studies implicated an important role of circadian clocks in behavioral timing and rhythmicity. Yet, recent studies on clock-mutant animals questioned this importance under more naturalistic settings, as various clock mutants showed nearly normal diel activity rhythms under seminatural zeitgeber conditions. We here report evidence that proper timing of eclosion, a vital behavior of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, requires a functional molecular clock under quasi-natural conditions. In contrast to wild-type flies, period⁰¹ mutants with a defective molecular clock showed impaired rhythmicity and gating in a temperate environment even in the presen

SUBMITTER: Ruf F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8114442 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature